Haris Vuckic: Forgotten Newcastle United man may get a chance

Slovenian striker Haris Vuckic has been reduced to just a single start for Newcastle this season and Alan Pardew is keen to send him out on loan

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Newcastle United's Haris Vuckic in action against Gateshead

A clutch of League One suitors are poised to offer Newcastle United’s forgotten man Haris Vuckic a chance to revive his career.

Struggling Sheffield United, Notts County and Wolves are all understood have made enquiries about the Slovenian striker, who desperately needs to play again after a series of injuries hampered the promising forward’s progress.

He has been reduced to just a single start for Newcastle this season – in the Capital One Cup at Morecambe – which lasted just 45 minutes, and Alan Pardew is keen to send him out on loan before next week’s emergency loa n deadline.

Vuckic’s hopes may be complicated by the financial requirements of the transfer. The Journal understands that many clubs have been put off by United’s insistence that they want a sizeable percentage of his wages covered by the loan club. That is understod to have torpedoed a move to Bradford City earlier in the season and with a new set of financial fair play requirements kicking in at the start of this season, most third-tier clubs are tightening their belts.

Vuckic has scored four times in three games for the under-21 team and was watched by scouts from Championship and League One clubs earlier in the month when he notched in Newcastle’s 6-2 reverse against Aston Villa at Burton.

The Slovenia striker is one of a number of squad players on long-term contracts at United, with Newcastle having extended his contract until 2016 two years ago.

The club were looking to protect their long-term assets but a number of those players have drifted out of contention and Vuckic is one player who needs to kick on if he is to fulfil the expectations that Newcastle’s management have of him.

As revealed by The Journal on Monday, Sammy Ameobi is another promising Newcastle youngster who may be allowed out on loan. Championship clubs including Middlesbrough are looking at the younger Ameobi brother, who has been on the fringes of the first team this season.

Meanwhile, black and white eyes will be focused on events in Paris this evening as a France squad containing Moussa Sissoko, Mathieu Debuchy, Loic Remy and Yohan Cabaye attempts to overturn a two-goal deficit against an in-form Ukraine.

The French team have been mocked across the channel for their performances and branded the worst France team in living memory. However, the president of the French Football Federation, Noel Le Graet, insists they will qualify for Brazil.

He said: “I felt good mobilisation, confidence, and reason to be optimistic.

“The France team will qualify on Tuesday.”

The mood in France is not positive, despite Le Graet’s assertion, and Ukraine’s commanding lead will be a worry for Les Bleus. It may also be a worry for Pardew, who has acknowledged that the promise of a World Cup place has been a major motivation for some of his squad members this season.

L’Equipe branded the class of 2013 as the worst France team in living memory and chronicled the fact that one supporter had offered them for sale for one Euro on eBay “to do household chores”. One player not involved with the France national side – Yoan Gouffran (pictured below) – insists that he can dovetail with anyone and continue to score goals.

“We have a lot of quality options here. We have Loic Remy as well as Shola Ameobi and Papiss Cisse in the squad,” the striker said.

“I don’t mind who I play with. We have a lot of competition for places and that is the most important thing.